Tag Archives: cauliflower

mash brussels sprouts

Autumnal Mash With Crispy Brussels Sprouts

This is a great side dish to add to any seasonal menu. Delicious and nourishing, it takes advantage of wonderful foods that are in season right now. Eating foods that are in season means they have more nutrition. Typically they’re also less expensive which is definitely a good thing.

Autumnal Mash with Crispy Brussels Sprouts

Prep Time 10 minutes
Servings 4

Equipment

  • Note: for ease of cleanup you can line a rimmed baking sheet with either parchment paper or a silicone Silpat® baking mat

Ingredients
  

  • 1 medium cauliflower head, roughly chopped (save the leaves to use as a green vegetable in another dish)
  • 2 Gala apples, peeled, cored and roughly chopped
  • 2 large shallots, cleaned and roughly chopped
  • 1 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil , divided
  • Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 1 pound Brussels sprouts, washed, trimmed, and halved
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 2 tablespoons organic whole cream
  • 2 tablespoons organic unsalted butter
  • ½ cup pistachios, shelled and roughly chopped

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 375°F, prepare rimmed baking sheet
  • Add cauliflower, apple, shallots, rosemary, sea salt, pepper, and one tablespoon olive oil to a large bowl. Toss to combine.
  • Spread this mixture onto baking sheet, place in over and roast until the cauliflower is fork tender, 25-30 minutes
  • To prepare Brussels sprouts:
    Heat the remaining olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
    Add the garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is fragrant, less than 1 minute
    Add Brussels sprouts. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they are crispy and starting to brown, about 15 minutes.
  • To assemble:
    When cauliflower mixture is finished, place in a large mixing bowl.
    Add cream and unsalted butter and mash (with a potato masher or an immersion blender) until smooth.
    Spread the mash in a large serving dish, top with the Brussels sprouts, and garnish with pistachios.
    Enjoy!

Curried Cauliflower

Health Benefits of Cauliflower

 

A delicious cruciferous vegetable, cauliflower is high in vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, and pantothenic acid. High in fiber, some studies indicate that it's a good choice for cardiovascular health due to its ability to bind bile acids and help regulate cholesterol levels. In addition to cardiovascular support, cauliflower is also good for the detoxification, digestive, immune, and inflammatory systems in the body. 

In my part of the world, cauliflower is in season.  I'm very fortunate to live in an area where we have an extended growing season.  While I miss certain crops that need cold weather to grow well (like rhubarb) I love the veggies that come out of my garden.

 

Eat it All!

 

Cauliflower is a fabulous white vegetable. Sometimes it comes in an orange-y yellow color or even purple. Those have a few more antioxidants, but they're all still cauliflower and absolutely delicious steamed, baked, roasted, or even be eaten raw.

The tastiness doesn't stop with the florets.  Easy and versatile to prepare in a number of different ways, one of the things that always seems to surprise people is that you can use the cauliflower green leafy bits too.  They make a great vegetable to go along with your cooked cauliflower.

In the summer I often roast the greens right along with the florets.  Drizzled with fruity olive oil, some sea salt, and fresh ground pepper they are truly fabulous. A friend of mine recently told me that he used the greens in place of kale to make cauliflower greens chips and they were delicious.  

Now that we're heading into colder weather I'm not eating raw or steamed vegetables as much, preferring different cooking methods.  At this time of year with cauliflower, I often like to curry it.  The flavors of curry go well with the cauliflower and greens.  Over a bed of rice with some protein on the side it's a very satisfying dinner.

Curried Cauliflower

A delicious, warming way to serve this versatile vegetable

Ingredients
  

  • 1 generous pinch mustard seed
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil cold pressed, extra virgin, organic preferred
  • 1 onion, minced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
  • 1 cauliflower greens, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 tsp curry powder
  • 1/4 cup water
  • salt to taste
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped fine

Instructions
 

  • Heat olive oil in the pan
  • Add mustard seeds and cook until they just start to pop
  • Turn heat to medium
  • Add onions and saute until starting to soften
  • Add garlic and saute one minute more
  • Add curry powder and stir well
  • Add cauliflower, greens, and water
  • Reduce heat to low, cover and cook 8-10 minutes until cauliflower is tender
  • Season with salt and cilantro